


here to stay is a new bird

by talkingtothesky



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Ice Skating, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:35:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21934825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talkingtothesky/pseuds/talkingtothesky
Summary: Harold and Grace go ice skating.
Relationships: Harold Finch/Grace Hendricks
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	here to stay is a new bird

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IMelopsittacus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IMelopsittacus/gifts).

> Title from Winter Wonderland, because I couldn't think of one and looked up Christmas lyrics!

Grace sends Harold a photo while holding her skates.

_At Bryant Park. Likely to fall flat on my face but what the hell. Come hold my hand?_

She has managed to get her feet in securely and test walking a few steps on the blades when her phone buzzes with a reply.

_Careful! I’ll be there shortly._

Grace smiles to herself and zips up her puffy coat. “Let’s do this.”

She pauses to let a few kids on before her, then swings herself in, accelerating faster than expected.

“Wha-laaaaa!” She loses her balance almost immediately.

“Okay, ma’am?” A handsome stranger with a neat little goatee stops her from hitting the ice.

“Thank you,” she says weakly, watching him skate off effortlessly, right across the center of the rink. Gritting her teeth with envy, she shuffles to the edge and grips it with both hands. “Okay,” she breathes, trying to master her fear. Looking down is probably a mistake. The ice is so shiny and white-blue and slick.

She straightens up and tries to get forward momentum, but it feels like she’s going to fall backwards. A few of the people going past her are stepping gingerly, so she tries that, and it’s easier to control. One, two, one, two. Okay! She can do this. Gaining confidence, she moves away from the edge a bit, but not so far she can’t grab it to break her fall. A few minutes of this and she feels safe enough to look up and around her, at the buildings, and the blue sky. The weak winter sun is slanting in beautifully between the skyscrapers, only reaching the ice at the far end. Grace wants to get there and stand in that patch of sun, so she keeps moving.

It’s more effort than it looks just to keep her balance. She’s already sweating in her coat, and it’s not long before she gets stuck behind a group of people all gathered near the boundary. She either has to wait for them to disperse, or go around them. She chooses the latter, trying to time it so she won’t get swiped by someone going much faster. She only manages to glide by accident, steering herself towards the next available section of barrier. But she did it! She’s getting better.

She knows what it’s like to move now without falling over, and it’s less work to alternate gliding and stepping whenever she feels her speed is getting out of control. She finds herself resting in that patch of sun before long. While leaning with her back to the fence is when she spots Harold in the crowd, just joining the ice. He looks adorably misplaced in his suit, and he’s just as wobbly as Grace, like a baby lamb in a tie and raincoat. He doesn’t try to go fast. She catches up with him and takes his arm.

“Harold!” She has to raise her voice over the general noise of the crowd. “There you are.”

He holds her gloved hand tightly. “Hi! I’m scared my glasses will fog up.”

Oh crap, she hadn’t thought of that. “If they do, I’ve got you.”

“Thanks.” They shuffle on together.

Another couple skates past them, the girl dragging her partner along behind her. He isn’t moving his feet, just holding on, like water skiing.

Grace grins and teases Harold. “Shall we try that?”

Harold huffs and grips her arm tighter, tucking in his elbow. She rubs his arm reassuringly and stays by his side.

“Sorry. I didn’t get much practice in as a boy. Too busy helping my dad on the farm.”

It’s rare that he talks about his past. Grace feels very fond of him. “That’s okay. Neither did I.”

Anyway, looking around them, there’s no discernible pattern as to whether the adults or children are better. The younger ones are more fearless about falling, but the adults have longer strides and better momentum.

Grace spots goatee man doing a figure of eight in the middle and growls under her breath. “Show off.”

“It’s good exercise, anyway,” Harold concedes, as they finish up their lap. He coughs, and Grace is also feeling the tickle of cold air in her chest.

“Another lap?” Grace suggests, trying to be brave for the both of them.

Harold grimaces apologetically. “I think I’d rather get off. I could sit and watch you?”

Grace gives up, relieved. “Yeah, no, let’s get something to drink.”

Having handed in their skates, they sit down at a table with a hot chocolate each and a pot of churros to share. Harold somehow already has sugar dusted on his jaw. Grace licks her thumb and dabs it away.

She sips her drink and watches him watch the people going round and round. He does like to observe. “It looks very freeing, for the people with skill.”

Grace sighs, looking around at all the different types of movements of the skaters. “Yeah. I need to come back another day with my sketchbook. Lots of flowy lines of action going on. And I like the way the light hits that building. Feels like a little snowy oasis down here, with a gold backdrop.”

Harold smiles at her. “I can see your brain working. Are you going to paint this from memory later?” He looks gorgeous. The apples of his cheeks are all rosy from the cold. She might paint him instead.

Grace shrugs. “Maybe.”

She waits for him to lower his hot chocolate, then feeds him a bite of a churro.

They sit in companionable silence for another ten minutes, their peace only broken by nearby squealing kids. Harold checks his watch discreetly. “I have to get back to work.”

Grace nods. “I know. Go. Love you.”

Harold stands and leans down to kiss her, tasting of chocolate. “I love _you_,” he says, like it’s some kind of competition he can’t help but win.

Grace relaxes in her chair and finishes the churros. It’s Christmas Eve. She’ll have him all to herself the whole day tomorrow. She can’t wait.


End file.
